graphic design internships
Most of us have been in the situation of jumping for joy when landing an internship, only to find out it is unpaid. It’s hard to resist the excitement of gaining some great work experience, but it is also important to consider whether you will be earning a living wage during your internship. Here are some things to consider:
Most of us have been in the situation of jumping for joy when landing an internship, only to find out it is unpaid. It’s hard to resist the excitement of gaining some great work experience, but it is also important to consider whether you will be earning a living wage during your internship. Here are some things to consider:
- Which industries offer unpaid internships?
- Who can benefit from taking an unpaid internship?
- Who should not take an unpaid internship?
- Is it worth doing an unpaid internship?
For example, graphic design and photography are fields where there are often plenty of opportunities for someone starting out with little-to-no experience and no portfolio, making them perfect candidates for taking on smaller projects at no cost.
Will the internship help you gain a particular skill set?
If you have a specific skill set in mind that you want to develop during your internship, consider asking the company about their training opportunities. For example, if you’re interested in learning more about CAD software and 3D printing, ask about any training programs or workshops they offer. You can also ask if there are any opportunities for you to work on projects related to your interests.
For example: “I’d like to learn more about building websites for small businesses and nonprofits, so I’m looking for an internship where I can apply that skill set.”
Will the internship equip you with the relevant experience you need to secure future paid work in your chosen field?
Before you begin your search for an internship, it’s important to consider whether that internship will help you obtain the relevant experience you need to secure future paid work in your chosen field. You should ask yourself:
- Can I apply what I learn?
- Will this be something that helps me get a job?
- How can I use this skill set in my next role?
If the answer to these questions is no, then perhaps it isn’t worth taking on an unpaid role.
Is the company established and well known enough that its name on your CV will look impressive to employers?
If you’re interning for a company that is well known, it can be good to include on your resume. This shows that you’ve gained experience working with a successful and established company.
However, this may also mean that it will be harder for you to get an internship or job offer from them because there are many other people who are interested in working there as well. You will probably have to wait longer before they consider hiring you too.
Are there any other benefits offered such as free lunches or travel expenses?
If you’re looking for an internship that offers more than just a paycheck, make sure to ask questions about benefits such as:
- Free lunches and dinners.
- Travel expenses.
- Accommodation. This can be helpful if you don’t have transportation or cannot afford accommodation on your own. Some companies will even pay for your travel costs when attending conferences or meetings related to work.
- Mentoring opportunities with senior staff members. This is great if you want help navigating the workplace environment and getting advice on how to advance within your career path in graphic design fields later on down the line! If they don’t offer this already though then what better time than now? You can always request it yourself at any point during your internship period (if allowed).
If you can answer yes to all of the above, then an unpaid internship may be worth considering. Remember that these placements can get very competitive, so make sure your application stands out from the crowd by tailoring it specifically for that role!
If you can answer yes to all of the above, then an unpaid internship may be worth considering. Remember that these placements can get very competitive, so make sure your application stands out from the crowd by tailoring it specifically for that role!
Research is key when applying for an internship. If it’s a paid position, then you will have had a chance to research the company beforehand and know what they are looking for in their employees. However, if this is an unpaid internship (or even worse a trial period), then research becomes even more important as you need to show how valuable your skills are and why they should hire someone who has less experience than others applying for similar roles.
The best thing about an unpaid or trial placement is that there is usually no pressure on either side – which means if something doesn’t work out after 3 months then no hard feelings! This also means though that both parties must give 100% effort throughout this period otherwise boredom could set in before it even gets started – luckily though most people who go into design have plenty energy 🙂
Unpaid internships are tempting, but make sure they’re worth it before applying!
Although unpaid internships are tempting, they are not necessarily the best route to a job.
Unpaid internships should be treated as a three-month trial period, during which you can prove your worth and show that you can handle yourself in a professional environment. If an unpaid internship is going to help train you for an actual job and equip you with relevant experience, then it might be worth it. However, if your employer does not offer any monetary compensation whatsoever, then an unpaid position probably isn’t worth the time or effort (unless there’s some sort of work-study program).